Yes, that is correct. Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was arrested on Saturday, September 9, 2023, by the Andhra Pradesh CID in connection with a corruption case related to the construction of a skill development centre in the state.
The case was registered in 2019, and Naidu was accused of awarding the contract for the construction of the centre to a company owned by his close associates at an inflated cost. He has denied all the allegations against him.
Naidu was arrested at around 6 am from R K Function Hall at Gnanapuram in Andhra Pradesh’s Nandyala town. He was taken to the CID headquarters in Vijayawada for questioning.
The TDP has condemned Naidu’s arrest, calling it a “political vendetta” by the ruling YSRCP government. The party has also called for a statewide shutdown on Monday, September 12, to protest Naidu’s arrest.
Naidu is the second former Andhra Pradesh chief minister to be arrested in a corruption case in recent months. In May, the CBI arrested former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in connection with a multi-crore mining scam.
The arrests of Naidu and Jagan Mohan Reddy have raised concerns about the political climate in Andhra Pradesh. The state is scheduled to go to the polls in 2024, and the arrests are seen as a way for the ruling and opposition parties to score brownie points with the voters.